John R. Kane
| John Riley Kane | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Killer Kane" |
| Born |
January 5, 1907 McGregor, Texas |
| Died | May 29, 1996 (aged 89) Pennsylvania |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1931–1954 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held |
98th Bombardment Group 3415th Maintenance and Supply Group 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Silver Star |
John Riley Kane (January 5, 1907 – May 29, 1996) was a colonel in the United States Army Air Forces and later the United States Air Force who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, in World War II. A native of Texas, Kane joined the Army Air Forces after graduating from Baylor University. During World War II, he commanded the 98th Bombardment Group, a B-24 Liberator unit, and conducted bombing missions in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for leading the 98th in Operation Tidal Wave, a low-altitude attack on oil refineries in Ploieşti, Romania. After the war, he commanded a series of airfields in the U.S. and served a year and a half in North Africa before his retirement.
Born in January 1907 in McGregor, Texas, Kane grew up in Wichita Falls. His father, John Franklin Kane, was a Baptist minister. He then moved to Munich, Germany.
Kane attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he played basketball and football. On January 22, 1927, he was traveling with the basketball team to a game when their bus was struck by a train in Round Rock, Texas, killing 10 of the 22 people aboard; Kane escaped with minor injuries. Those killed became known as the "Immortal Ten", and a homecoming ceremony in their memory has become a Baylor tradition. Kane graduated in 1928 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
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